Product Description

Product Description

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. Translation of: Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei

A concept born in a simpler time used as an excuse for many things from Socialism to controlled capitalism. As with any pivotal work, one should read it for his/her self. There is always the chance of misinterpretation by an individual, but if you do not read this then you are just accepting someone's word anyway.

This is more than an economics book it is a way of life. It sounds good on paper but makes many assumptions. Instead of worrying about workability, look at the logic that is built on assumptions of that time (written, in 1848). Add this to your library.

You can pick a side (pro or con) and make a stand if you like; but look at the size of this book and realize that many people will just use the title and build their own case. You will have read the real thing.

Be sure to balance it with "The Capitalist Manifesto" by Louis O. Kelso

3.0 out of 5 starsA must read, but not necessarily a must likeAug. 30 2011

By Karl Janssen - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition

Though originally written in 1848, The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels ended up exerting its greatest influence in the following century. No other book had a more profound effect on 20th-century history in terms of lives affected, governments overthrown, nations transformed, people killed or displaced, and the expenditure of time, money, and energy either for or against it. Given the fact that America was so preoccupied with the threat of Communism for decades, it's surprising how few Americans ever took the time to read the actual battle cry of their nemesis. Due to its historical importance, Communism is a political philosophy that must either be accepted or refuted, but cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, my intention here is not to critique Communism as a philosophy but rather to critique the Manifesto as a book.

A common misconception is that this book is the founding document of Communism, but in reality Communism was well-known as an active political school in Europe at the time the Manifesto was published. The purpose of the Manifesto was to ignite and unite the faithful, recruit the curious, and frighten the bourgeoisie. The authors assumed a prior knowledge of Communism on the part of the reader, and as such the text spends more time clarifying the doctrine of Communism than it does declaring it outright. Because it's a manifesto rather than a full-fledged philosophical treatise, its full of bold, undefended statements. Here you won't find well-reasoned arguments extolling the virtues of Communism, nor detailed explanations as to how exactly the world would be run following the triumph of the Revolution. For that you'll have to look elsewhere in Marx's oeuvre. The subject matter of the Manifesto is restricted to a description of the class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, along with some general statements about the abolition of private property. There's also some discussion of how Communism differs from earlier forms of Socialism, and the state of its activity in Europe in the mid-19th century.

The Kindle file that's offered for free on Amazon was originally created by Project Gutenberg. It's a very short file, and one-fifth of it is taken up by the Project Gutenberg license agreement. The entire Manifesto can be read in under an hour. This is a no-frills file; it contains no introduction, commentary, or footnotes. There's no table of contents, but a file this small doesn't really need one. The English translation is from the 1888 edition edited by Engels. For the modern audience it's a bit of a clunky read. There are a few grammatical errors, subject-verb disagreements for example. Absent from this volume, however, are the annoying typographical errors often found in Project Gutenberg files created by optical character recognition of scanned books. In that respect the text is clean and user-friendly.

As a historical document, The Communist Manifesto is an invaluable artifact. As a philosophical text, it's brevity undermines its necessity. For any in-depth knowledge of the subject, you'll have to dive into Marx's Das Kapital.

29 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 starsNever have so many extrapolated so much out of so littleJuly 10 2009

By bernie - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition

A concept born in a simpler time used as an excuse for many things from Socialism to controlled capitalism. As with any pivotal work, one should read it for his/her self. There is always the chance of misinterpretation by an individual, but if you do not read this then you are just accepting someone's word anyway.

This is more than an economics book it is a way of life. It sounds good on paper but makes many assumptions. Instead of worrying about workability, look at the logic that is built on assumptions of that time (written, in 1848). Add this to your library.

You can pick a side (pro or con) and make a stand if you like; but look at the size of this book and realize that many people will just use the title and build their own case. You will have read the real thing.

Be sure to balance it with "The Capitalist Manifesto" by Louis O. Kelso

The Capitalist Manifesto by Louis O. Kelso and Mortimer J. Adler

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 starsclassic thoughtFeb. 25 2013

By Ari - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

There is a lot more here than what was put into practice by the Soviet Block. I'd rather not accept the general rejection of Communist thought without being informed personally. It should be read by anyone interested in political thought and influences. This thinking is pretty much rejected and without expression in the United States, but it is alive and well in most of the rest of the world, most especially in many European countries.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 starsAn interesting read.Oct. 18 2012

By Santee-sailor - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Had heard about this for years when still in school but never read it. Finally got around to it. Not what I expected. Has some interesting ideas and I promise, it won't turn you into an instant communist. If you want a primer on how other forms of government think this is a good place to start.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 starsA must read, regardless of ideological bentJune 22 2014

By KeithArgh - Published on Amazon.com

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

I read this every couple of year just to remind myself of the absolute lunacy of it all. Marx's belief that a political system can be run without ego, or people seeking power over others ignores the basic premise that it is people being governed, not pressure in a vessel being manipulated.